Smartphones, which are defined as internet-compatible mobile phones with a touch-sensitive screen, are widespread nowadays and the number of users continues to go up. Smartphones are sold by a variety of companies with different operating systems and applications, called apps, and have a wide range of features, also including being able to create pictures and videos.
In general, mobile emergency chargers for charging smartphones on the go are known as power banks. These power banks comprise an energy storage system and electronics in order to be able to charge smartphones on the go. As such, a power bank is not a typical stationary charger, but rather can be taken with you. Such power banks are intended to extend the usage time of smartphones and to guarantee use of the device largely regardless of the respective state of charge. A rechargeable lithium polymer battery having a high capacity is usually installed in the housing of a power bank and there are different connections on the housing.
In various purchasing portals online, power banks for the emergency charging of smartphones in particular can be found, which as well as a simple charging function have further features such as a torch, as described in AU2016101307, laser pointer, solar cells, hand warmer, compass, smartphone holder or a data store, as described in DE202015101248. Customary power banks are available in a wide variety of designs, in the form of a music cassette, a bag, an action figure, a winder for manual charging, as cited in DE202016105623, as a table lamp or in a simple design with a stable, rectangular housing. Cable connections are known, with which the energy storage system of the power bank can be connected to a smartphone.
Power banks are increasingly also being used for charging mobile devices wirelessly, wherein various techniques can be used, as listed in DE202015101248, although the Qi standard, as cited by way of example in DE202014005389, has generally prevailed. In order to enhance user-friendliness, power banks which have the option of charging smartphones wirelessly are very attractive for the smartphone user owing to the lack of wires. It is therefore evident that the power banks increasingly together with the coupled smartphone can be carried along and also are carried along with the smartphone during charging. There are power banks which, after being coupled to a smartphone, can be taken with you on the go with this smartphone. With the option of wireless charging, the smartphone is placed onto the Qi power bank and additionally held magnetically or by suction cups, as described in DE202013007828. Taking the smartphone together with power bank with you is readily possible, wherein a clunky construction results, the power bank is connected as securely as possible to the smartphone and is only used for charging.
If additional features are available, they are designed independently of the smartphone, such that a compass or an illumination device or a video player/power bank combination, as disclosed in US20160301229, have no effect on the use of the smartphone. Even if the power bank is equipped with an illumination device, is there no functional coupling to a smartphone, wherein the smartphone and power bank are used independently of each other. Neither a physical nor a functional coupling of the power bank to the smartphone is available.
Currently available power banks are still, in general, standalone partially clunky energy storage systems which are separate from the smartphone, without an additional functional benefit coupled to the smartphone, alongside the option of charging.